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Description

Cat Swarovski 2821 – Venetian Mask

Venetian Mask – Venetian masks are a centuries-old tradition of Venice, Italy. The masks are typically worn during the Carnival (Carnival of Venice), but have been used on many other occasions in the past, usually as a device for hiding the wearer’s identity and social status.

For example, pantomime, which flourished in the 18th century, owes its genesis to the character types of the commedia, particularly Harlequin.

In Italy, commedia masks and plots found their way into the opera buffa, and the plots of Rossini, Verdi, and Puccini.

During the Napoleonic occupation of Italy, instigators of reform and critics of French Imperial rule (such as Giacomo Casanova) used the carnival masks to hide their identities while fueling political agendas, challenging social rule and hurling blatant insults and criticisms at the regime.

Venice, with its historic carnival, known internationally, has famous masks from the Commedia dell’arte: Pantalone, his daughter Rosaura and cunning maidservant Colombina ; Harlequin and Brighella, although coming from Bergamo, also Venetian citizenship, because according to tradition were working as servants in the capital of Veneto. The Bauta is the ancient face mask that guarantees anonymity to the participants at the carnival in Venice.